Mounting evidence support the potential benefits of functional foods or nutraceuticals for human health and diseases. Black cumin (Nigella sativa L.), a highly valued nutraceutical herb with a wide array of health benefits, has attracted growing interest from health-conscious individuals, the scientific community, and pharmaceutical industries. The pleiotropic pharmacological effects of black cumin, and its main bioactive component thymoquinone (TQ), have been manifested by their ability to attenuate oxidative stress and inflammation, and to promote immunity, cell survival, and energy metabolism, which underlie diverse health benefits, including protection against metabolic, cardiovascular, digestive, hepatic, renal, respiratory, reproductive, and neurological disorders, cancer, and so on. Furthermore, black cumin acts as an antidote, mitigating various toxicities and drug-induced side effects. Despite significant advances in pharmacological benefits, this miracle herb and its active components are still far from their clinical application. This review begins with highlighting the research trends in black cumin and revisiting phytochemical profiles. Subsequently, pharmacological attributes and health benefits of black cumin and TQ are critically reviewed. We overview molecular pharmacology to gain insight into the underlying mechanism of health benefits. Issues related to pharmacokinetic herb–drug interactions, drug delivery, and safety are also addressed. Identifying knowledge gaps, our current effort will direct future research to advance potential applications of black cumin and TQ in health and diseases.

Insulin is a polypeptide hormone mainly secreted by β cells in the islets of Langerhans of the pancreas. The hormone potentially coordinates with glucagon to modulate blood glucose levels; insulin acts via an anabolic pathway, while glucagon performs catabolic functions. Insulin regulates glucose levels in the bloodstream and induces glucose storage in the liver, muscles, and adipose tissue, resulting in overall weight gain. The modulation of a wide range of physiological processes by insulin makes its synthesis and levels critical in the onset and progression of several chronic diseases. Although clinical and basic research has made significant progress in understanding the role of insulin in several pathophysiological processes, many aspects of these functions have yet to be elucidated. This review provides an update on insulin secretion and regulation, and its physiological roles and functions in different organs and cells, and implications to overall health. We cast light on recent advances in insulin-signaling targeted therapies, the protective effects of insulin signaling activators against disease, and recommendations and directions for future research.

Background: Naturally-occurring products derived from living organisms have been shown to modulate various pharmacological and biological activities. Natural products protect against various diseases, which could be used for therapeutic assistance. Autophagy, a lysosome-mediated self-digestion pathway, has been implicated in a range of pathophysiological conditions and has recently gained attention for its role in several neurodegenerative diseases. Methods: In this current review, we emphasized the recent progress made in our understanding of the molecular mechanism of autophagy in different cellular and mouse models using naturally-occurring autophagy modulators for the management of several neurodegenerative diseases. Results: Accumulating evidence has revealed that a wide variety of natural compounds such as alkaloids, polyphenols, terpenoids, xanthonoids, flavonoids, lignans, disaccharides, glycolipoproteins, and saponins are involved in the modulation of the autophagy signaling pathway. These natural products have been used to treat various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinocerebellar ataxia, neuroblastoma, and glioblastoma. Although a number of synthetic autophagy regulators have been recognized as encouraging neurodegenerative therapeutic candidates, natural autophagy- regulating compounds have been of further interest as potential disease therapeutics, as they cause insignificant side effects. Conclusion: Existing in vitro and in vivo data are promising and highlight that naturally-occurring autophagyregulating compounds play an important role in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.